Paxil

Paxil may impair your judgment, thinking, or motor skills. Do not drive, operate dangerous machinery, or participate in any hazardous activity that requires full mental alertness until you are sure the medication is not affecting you in this way.

Antidepressants such as Paxil could potentially cause stomach bleeding, especially when combined with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and ketoprofen (Orudis KT). Consult your doctor before combining Paxil with NSAIDs or blood-thinning drugs.

It's best to avoid an abrupt discontinuation of Paxil therapy. It can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, abnormal dreams, and tingling sensations. To prevent such problems, your doctor will reduce your dose gradually.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking Paxil

Remember that Paxil must never be combined with Mellaril or MAO inhibitors such as Nardil and Parnate, or taken within 2 weeks of starting or stopping an MAO inhibitor.

If Paxil is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Paxil with any of the following:

Alcohol
Antidepressants such as Elavil, Tofranil, Norpramin, Pamelor, Prozac
Aspirin
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Diazepam (Valium)
Digoxin (Lanoxin)
Flecainide (Tambocor)
Lithium (Eskalith)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and ketoprofen (Orudis KT)
Phenobarbital
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Procyclidine (Kemadrin)
Propafenone (Rythmol)
Propranolol (Inderal, Inderide)
Quinidine (Quinaglute)
Sumatriptan (Imitrex)
Theophylline (Theo-24, Uniphyl)
Tryptophan
Warfarin (Coumadin)

Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

The effects of Paxil during pregnancy have not been adequately studied. There have been reports of serious complications in newborns who were exposed to Paxil late in the last 3 months of pregnancy. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor immediately.

Paxil appears in breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. If this medication is essential to your health, your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding until your treatment with Paxil is finished.